Operational Strategies for Serving the Multi-Energy Demand

Multi-energy systems (MES) enable the integration of different energy vectors for serving a multienergy demand variable in time. MES operation is constrained by different kinds of limits, including limits on the components and limits due to the topology of the interconnections and technical aspects concerning the interactions among MES components. This paper presents a novel extension of the optimization model with linear constraints used in the literature to solve the MES optimization with constant efficiencies and coefficients of performance (COP) of the equipment. The extended optimization model considers non-linear convex expressions of the equipment efficiencies and COPs and solves the optimization model with linear constraints in an iterative way, until the solution does not change more than a specified tolerance. The optimal MES solutions are shown considering the operation of a trigeneration system that serves electricity, heat and cooling loads in winter and summer cases with specific demand and energy prices, comparing the solutions with constant and variable efficiencies and COP.